The State of Virginia provides the option for any county, city or town to exempt or partially exempt solar energy equipment and recycling equipment from local property taxes. This status is targeted toward non-commercial participants; commercial entities are fully exempt from state and local taxes under Commercial Property Tax exemption for Solar.

The solar equipment and installation has to be inspected and certified by the local building department or the Department of Environmental Quality to provide the value of the system for the purpose of determining tax credit.

The statute broadly defines solar energy equipment as any that is "designed and used primarily for the purpose of collecting, generating, transferring, or storing thermal or electric energy." This includes solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal heating and passive solar systems.

Recycling equipment is defined as equipment which is "certified by the Department of Environmental Quality as integral to the recycling process and for use primarily for the purpose of abating or preventing pollution of the atmosphere or waters.